Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.It was first revealed on December 9, 2010.Officially it was announced at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards on December 11, 2010. Uncharted 3 sees protagonist Nathan Drake and mentor Victor Sullivan traveling around the world to such places as the Rub' al Khali desert, in search of the legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars. Elena Fisher and Chloe Frazer also return in Uncharted 3. The plot draws from the archaeology days of T. E. Lawrence.Arne Meyer, Naughty Dog's community strategist stated that the "main theme of Uncharted 3 is 'finding the way'". Upon its release, Uncharted 3 was met with universal critical acclaim, averaging 92% on both review aggregate websites Metacritic and on GameRankings, making it one of the most critically acclaimed video games of 2011.It won several "Game of the Year" awards, reviewers praising the writing, voice acting, graphics, cinematic quality, and story. The game shipped 3.8 million copies worldwide on launch day. Gameplay '' Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception'' is an action-adventure platform video game played from a third-person perspective, with the player in control of Nathan Drake. Drake will have a large number of different animation sets, enabling him to react according to his surroundings. Drake is physically adept and is able to jump, sprint, climb, swim, scale narrow ledges, wall-faces to get between points, and perform other acrobatic actions. Drake can now take on opponents in more ways than before: hand-to-hand combat with multiple opponents, contextual melee attacks, and new stealth options. Uncharted 3 also features expanded and diverse traversal moves with deep gunplay. Drake can be equipped with up to two firearms – one single-handed and one two-handed – and four grenades. Drake can pick up weapons, automatically replacing the existing weapon he was using, and additional ammunition from downed enemies. The player can direct Drake to take cover behind corners or low walls using either aimed or blind-fire to kill his enemies. The player can also have Drake fire while moving. If Drake is undetected by his enemies, the player can attempt to use stealth to take them out, such as by sneaking up behind them and killing them with one hit, or by dropping down onto an enemy whilst Drake is hanging from a ledge. The stealth mechanic has been simplified and improved.Some areas of the game will require the player to solve puzzles with the use of Drake's journal, which provides clues towards the puzzles' solutions. When enabled, a hint system provides gameplay clues, such as the direction of the next objective. Multiplayer Similar to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3 includes a separate multiplayer component with network play, featuring competitive and cooperative modes of play. The beta features several customization options, such as different character skins, clown masks, ability boosters, skill medals to attain, and a progressive ranking system. Uncharted 3 will introduce free-for-all modes such as standard deathmatch, character model and weapon modification, and dynamic environmental 'events' within multiplayer maps, similar to the set pieces from the game's campaign - such as a hostile plane flying above shooting all players it catches in its crossfire. Collectible treasures are also said to be available within the multiplayer maps, which can be used as in-game currency for unlocking new characters, customization equipment and boosters. Unlocked customizations can either allow for changes to be made in character appearance, such as clothing and skin tone, or upgrading weapon attributes.[12] A Buddy System has also been implemented into multiplayer. At the beginning of each match, the player may be joined with a random partner or a friend if joining their game. The buddy's emblem remains displayed as part of the player's HUD to indicate their location relative to the player's own on the map. With your Buddy, you can do a cooperative taunt over dead enemies you defeated together, and can also collect each others' earned treasures for them. The player is able to spawn next to his buddy so long as the buddy remains alive and out of combat. With the aim of making the multiplayer more flexible and accessible, several logistical improvements have been added, such as the capability to join games in progress or for two different PlayStation Network accounts to play together in split-screen multiplayer on a single console. In the event of ties or near-ties, matches enter an elimination mode as they wind down, in which the players are restricted to one life and must compete to wipe out all of the opposing team's members first within the allotted remaining time. Several new features have been included in the game, including mechanics that create gameplay situations designed to assist the losing team,improves ability enhancements and augmentations that must be purchased for each use, special abilities that are made available when a certain amount of medals has been attained within a match, and "Uncharted TV", a small video window that appears throughout the multiplayer menus, creating a video that can be uploaded to Facebook, YouTube or the XMB. Multiplayer also includes a character creation system, allowing a user to extensively customise their in-game character. Co-operative multiplayer also returns from Uncharted 2 Plot The story begins with Nathan "Nate" Drake (Nolan North) and Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Richard McGonagle) meeting with Talbot (Robin Atkin Downes) in a pub in London, England. They negotiate a trade, a large sum of money in return for Sir Francis Drake's ring. Nate and Sully accuse Talbot of offering them counterfeit bank notes and, after fighting their way past Talbot's thugs, Nate and Sully emerge in an alleyway, where they are surrounded and subdued by Charlie Cutter (Graham McTavish), Talbot's cohort. They are then approached by Talbot's client, Katherine Marlowe (Rosalind Ayres), who steals Drake's ring. Nate attempts to go after her, but Cutter guns him and Sully down, seemingly killing them. The story flashes back to 20 years earlier. A 15-year-old Nathan Drake (Billy Unger) explores a museum in Cartagena, Colombia, in search of Sir Francis' ring, but is thrown out after guards suspect him of being a thief. Intrigued by the actions of a younger 40-year-old Victor Sullivan, who he does not know at this point, Nate follows Sully to a keymaker and pickpockets him, before returning to the museum. He steals the ring but before he can leave, he is caught by Marlowe, her henchmen, and Sully, who was working for her. Nate flees with the ring. Sully rescues Nate from Marlowe's agents and decides to act as a mentor to Nate. Returning to the present day, it is revealed that the meeting was an elaborate set-up by Nate and Sully to get closer to Marlowe, with Cutter being an old friend of theirs. With the help of Chloe Frazer (Claudia Black), they trace Marlowe's car to a hidden library, where they manage to retrieve T. E. Lawrence's notebook and a map showing Francis Drake's secret voyage to Arabia, where he was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to search for the lost city of Ubar. Using these items, Nate works out that clues to the city's location lie in Crusader crypts in a French chateau and a Syrian citadel. Nate and Sully head to eastern France and locate the long abandoned chateau in a dense forest. They find one half of an amulet inside the crypt but the two are ambushed by Talbot, who takes the amulet and sets the chateau on fire. Nate and Sully escape and quickly head to Syria, fearing that Chloe and Cutter, who traveled to the Syrian citadel, may have been followed as well. They meet up with Chloe and Cutter, who have learned that Marlowe is the head of an order dating back four centuries that seeks to gain power by exploiting the fears of their enemies. The group reaches the second crypt and find the other half of the amulet, revealing the location of the next clue in Yemen. However, while trying to exit the citadel, Cutter is cornered by Marlowe and Talbot, forcing him to hand over the amulet piece. Although Nate, Sully, Chloe, and Cutter manage to escape, Cutter breaks his leg in the process, forcing him and Chloe to back out while Nate and Sully travel to Yemen on their own. Drake reluctantly follows Sully's advice to meet with his wife Elena Fisher, recently separated, (Emily Rose), who helps them locate the underground tomb where they discover the location of the lost city as well as evidence that Sir Francis Drake had also found the tomb and what he learned there caused him to abandon his mission. The trio are then attacked by flesh-eating spiders and flee above ground, where Nate is shot with a dart containing hallucinogens. After stumbling away alone, Nate wakes up outside a café with Marlowe and Talbot. Here, it is revealed that Drake was never the descendant of Sir Francis Drake, and she comments on his past and his relationship with Sully. Nate then gives chase to Talbot throughout the city but after a fistfight with him, he is knocked out by Rameses. Marlowe gives Nate to a band of pirates she hired led by Rameses to interrogate him for information about Iram of the Pillars. Rameses claims to have captured Sully who is being held captive on a cruise ship on the docks. Nate manages to escape captivity and searches the cruise ship, but discovers the pirates did not take Sully hostage. Mortally wounded, Rameses blows a massive hole in the ship's hull, causing the entire vessel to capsize. Nate navigates the overturned ship before diving into the ocean, ultimately washing back onto shore. He is reunited with Elena, who informs him that Sully was captured by Marlowe's men and taken on a convoy into the Rub 'al Khali desert, but they may be able to rescue him if they stowaway on a cargo plane due to deliver supplies to Marlowe's convoy. The two of them infiltrate the airstrip and Nate manages to stowaway onboard as it takes off. He is soon discovered by Marlowe's men on board and a shoot-out ensues, resulting in serious damage to the plane. Nate is pulled from the plane by an air vacuum, but is able to activate a parachute and descend safely. After wandering the desert, suffering from heat exhaustion, severe thirst and experiencing hallucinations and mirages, Nate arrives at a ghost town in the desert where he is attacked by Marlowe's men. A troop of men on horseback, led by Salim (TJ Ramini), appear and ride to Nate's rescue. At the horsemen's encampment, Salim tells Nate that the city of Ubar was doomed thousands of years ago by King Solomon when he imprisoned evil Djinn within a brass vessel and cast it into the heart of the city. He agrees to help Nate and leads him to the convoy spotted by his scouts. Nate and Salim destroy the convoy and rescue Sully. Salim then instructs Nate and Sully to follow him into a nearby sandstorm, but the pair lose him amidst the dust and they realise that they have arrived at the gates of Ubar. Upon entering Ubar, Nate and Sully come across a sophisticated water fountain that Nate drinks out of. Suddenly Sully is shot in the back and killed by Talbot. Overcome by rage, Nate gives chase and has to fight more of Marlowe's men, who seem to have been possessed by the Djinn, engulfing themselves in flames and moving at impossible speeds. Nate eventually comes to his senses and finds Sully alive. The true mystery of what happened to the people of Ubar thousands of years ago becomes apparent: when King Solomon cast the brass vessel into the depths of the city, it fell into the water and began to taint the water with a powerful hallucinogenic agent. The people were subsequently driven mad, and civilization within the city collapsed. Nate realises that the vessel is what Queen Elizabeth had sent Francis Drake to find, and what Marlowe is looking for now. Nate and Sully search the city and locate Marlowe, who is using a winch to pull the brass talisman from the water. Nate and Sully destroy the winch and the explosion sets off a chain reaction throughout the entire city, causing the city to collapse. Nate and Sully attempt to escape and encounter Marlowe and Talbot shortly before the collapsing buildings throw Marlowe into a pit of quicksand. Nate tries to save her but is unable to pull her out, and Marlowe is submerged in the sand, taking Drake's ring with her. An enraged Talbot attempts to kill Nate and Sully, but is shot by Nate and falls to his death, after which Salim rides in on his horse and leads them to safety as the city is engulfed by the desert. Nate and Sully return to the airport in Yemen where Sully explains why he took such an interest in the young Nate. He then gives back Nate's wedding ring which he secretly kept safe when Drake and Elena separated. Nate turns to see Elena joining them. The two embrace each other and the trio flies back home on Sully's "new" sea plane. Cast *Nolan North - Nathan 'Nate' Drake *Richard McGonagle - Victor 'Sully' Sullivan *Emily Rose - Elena Fisher *Graham McTavish - Charlie Cutter *Rosalind Ayres - Katherine Marlowe *Claudia Black - Chloe Frazer *Sayed Badreya - Rameses *Robin Atkin Downes - Talbot *T.J. Ramini - Salim *Billy Unger - Young Nathan Drake Development It was first revealed by Entertainment Weekly on December 9, 2010. Officially it was announced at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards on December 11, 2010, the first teaser trailer showed a table covered in Arabia-related paraphernalia. The worldwide demo of the game was premiered on the American late-night talk show, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Night_with_Jimmy_FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon on December 14, 2010, the demo showed Nate Drake and Sully rushing through a burning building. A second demo was shown at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on June 15, 2011, Drake skulking his way through a cruise ship that's being rocked back and forth by furious waves. Naturally, he's snapping a few necks and getting himself stuck in life-threatening situations too, previously shown at Sony’s E3 press conference. At Gamescom 2011, an another demo was shown, during the demo Drake busts his way onto an airfield and chases a jet before boarding it and causing all manner of havoc on board. On August 31, 2011, Naughty Dog released another direct-feed video that extends the airport action scene, the video shows the last two minutes leading up to where the previous video ended, and then a further two minutes of action showing more of the Gamescom demo. At the Eurogamer Expo 2011, a new demo was shown, which depicts wise-cracking hero Nathan Drake battling enemies in a “ghost town” in the middle of the baking desert. Creative director Amy Hennig explained that the desire for a desert-themed Uncharted stemmed from wanting to push the team creatively and technologically, as "organic" elements such as sand, water, and fire are "technically difficult to credibly render with animation". Game director Justin Richmond explained that the game feels more open than other Uncharted games mainly due to the great new character creation feature. "We're not an open-world game, we're never going to be an open-world game but; we can try. It's still up in the air how much gameplay we're going to let you wander around. But we aim to let you just ride a thousand miles off into the middle of nowhere and still find action and adventure as you go." Ultimately the feel we want to get is, yeah, your character is lost in the desert. So it needs to feel like that. We aim to make it feel open-world." In regards to whether or not PlayStation Move would be supported in Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog explained that "A great Move game is a game made around Move and we started Uncharted long before that. It would be very difficult for us to adjust it. We tried a couple of things but it wasn’t making a lot of sense." While speaking with GamePro, Naughty Dog admitted that Uncharted 2's multiplayer could have been much better if they were given more time to perfect it. So for Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog drew inspiration from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption to make their offering the "go-to game for PS3 multiplayer." Naughty Dog also told the magazine that one thing they learned through all their multiplayer testing is that damage and health in multiplayer should be "the same or similar to single player." Naughty Dog announced that Uncharted 3 won't feature dedicated server, because Naughty Dog looks for potential four year lifespan instead. Software manager for Sony Spain, Juan Jimenez, told Spanish gaming site The Vault that Uncharted 3 will make use of the PSN Pass, making it the second game to carry the feature following Resistance 3. As is standard, a one-time code will be provided with copies of Uncharted 3 for first time buyers giving them access to online multiplayer features from the off, but second-hand buyers will have to pay extra for online play.When asked why the developers implemented the pass system, game director Justin Richmond replied, that without the money from Sony's PSN Pass it wouldn't be able to afford to include as much online content as it has with Uncharted 3, and would possibly have to separate the online and offline content into separate products. On October 6, 2011, Naughty Dog's community strategist Arne Meyer, confirmed that developer Naughty Dog's work on Uncharted 3 is done and has sent the game to be certified at Sony. According to lead designer, Richard Lemarchand, Naughty Dog had worked on “the biggest and most epic and jaw dropping game” with Uncharted 3.On October 10, 2011, Uncharted 3 had officially achieved gold status, enabling the videogame to enter the manufacturing process for its upcoming release next month. It was also confirmed that the Uncharted 3 disc will also contain four behind-the-scenes videos detailing the development and production of the videogame, including exclusive material from Naughty Dog. Sony announced that Uncharted 3 will come with codes for early access to the Starhawk multiplayer beta. Graphics and Technology Naughty Dog said that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception uses an "evolved" version of the same engine they used in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves that has allowed the game to have better physics, visuals, and environmental effects. The game features new innovations in sand, fire, smoke, and water dynamics and effects, also it adds to the movement of the characters, more realistic textures and animations. According to Naughty Dog Uncharted 3 is graphically superior to Uncharted 2. "We’re at full speed, optimizing code specifically for the SPUs," Naughty Dog co-president (and former technical director) Christophe Balestra told Edge. "We were, at any given point, using 100% the PlayStation 3's power. We were using everything we possibly could. There is always room where you find something where you can do the processing in some different way to find more power. There are all of these different ways to squeeze more power out of the box," Justin Richmond, game director told VentureBeat. Real physics and environment deformation are key in creating a realistic playing experience, according to Naughty Dog’s Community Strategist Arne Meyer. Game director, Justin Richmond, said that Uncharted 3 pushed the PlayStation 3's graphical capabilities to its limits, but Uncharted 3 doesn't manage the same graphical advance seen between the first two games because the Playstation 3 simply can't handle it, "We pushed it really hard. Uncharted 2 to 3'' is still a jump, but it's a narrower jump. And going forward, it depends on what we do." In an interview at GamesCon 2011, Senior Manager of Marketing Communications Arne Meyer spoke of the unprecedented size of ''Uncharted 3 stating "Uncharted 2 barely made it to 25GB, while Naughty Dog is going over 50GB this time, for Uncharted 3. But in the end we’ll be under 50. We’ll be one disc." Meyer also spoke of what it is like to work with the PlayStation platform stating "I think it really helps. It’s not even about sales. It’s about what we can push on the platform and how far we can take it. I’m sure you’ll hear this from every other Sony developer but you know, I can’t tell you how much we’ve been able to optimise Cell and you know, the amount of content we can put on Blu-ray." On September 27, 2011, Naughty Dog’s Co-President, Christophe Balestra, posted a picture via his Twitter account, which showed Uncharted 3 assets taking nearly 24.2 Terabytes consumed while stating, "We’d better finish this game soon…". It was not clear if this network drive is for general use or for Uncharted 3 game assets and data. However, Balestra’s comment seems to allude to the former, indicating that the purpose of the drive is for the game. A larger game typically translates into mo-cap and art assets, high-res textures, music, voice audio, more environments, more content, and as a result a more fulfilling game to play. Uncharted 3 will probably be the largest game to-date. According to Mick Hocking, the director of Sony WorldWide Studios' 3D team, Uncharted 3 "will show a new level in 3D gaming". He went on "Uncharted 3 in 3D will really convince people of our full-screen HD 3D solution... Genuinely, Uncharted 3 looks phenomenal in 3D." Marketing and Release On August 30, 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Spike TV announced a competition, challenging the Uncharted fans to become "a better adventurer than Nathan Drake!". Fans (21 years of age or older) could enter the contest and win a chance to play Uncharted 3 before mainstream release. On October 31, 2011, Spike's GameTrailers TV presented the Uncharted 3: Race to the Ring at 11:30 p.m. on Spike TV. The 30 minute special featured five Uncharted fans from the United States engaged in physical and mental challenges, with the winner receiving an "incredible Uncharted-themed prize package including the ultimate Sony home theater system valued at over $12,000." On September 22, 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced a competition, challenging the Uncharted fans to win the title "Uncharted Treasure Hunter". Fans (18 years of age or older) could enter the contest and win a change to join an action-packed quest treasure hunt through the Arabian Desert inspired by the game and a chance to play Uncharted 3 before mainstream release. The travel was from October 2 through October 6, 2011, with 20 competing adventurers from across Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. The 20 competing adventurers engaged in physical and mental challenges, with the winner receiving an "$10,000 worth of prizes." From October 18 through October 20, 2011, AMC Theatres hosted a Uncharted 3 “Play it First in 3D” event, showcasing Uncharted 3 at participating theaters across the United States. Participating theaters offered "an inside look from the development team at Naughty Dog," a multiplayer tournament, gaming shown on the big screen in 3D, and raffles, prizes, and giveaways. "General Admission" tickets to the event cost $25 and the "Insider Access" $60, which allowed attendees not only get entry into the event, but also get a copy of Uncharted 3 before it releases. All "Insiders" had a copy of the game shipped to their homes on October 25 via FedEx, giving the attendees a full one week head start over everyone else. The first TV spot was released on September 8, 2011, during the 2011 NFL Kickoff game between the Packers and Saints. On October 16, 2011, Naughty Dog released the launch TV spot for the game. The trailer contains around 25 seconds of footage, and features Drake traversing canyons, riding horses, and battling above wrecked airplanes. On October 19, 2011, a Japanese commercial to promote the game was released, which starred actor and producer Harrison Ford, and what Harrison Ford himself thinks about a game he inspired. Also on October 19, 2011 Naughty Dog released the launch trailer for the game. It features deserts, boats, planes, horse-riding and treasure hunting. To promote the game, Sony had several promote events during October 2011, where the public had a chance to try out the multiplayer, as well as the single-player and Q&A session with Naughty Dog. These events were in several regions, such as the European countries Norway and UK. On October 15, Sony offered gamers "the first ever public sampling" of Uncharted 3's single player campaign at The Pelican Bar, London. Developers from Naughty Dog also turn up at the event, with a subsequent Q&A session. Sony Computer Entertainment UK is spending £5 million ($7.82m) on its marketing push for Uncharted 3, a figure which the platform holder claims makes the game its biggest software launch ever. The campaign includes a short documentary produced by Oscar-winning director Ed Zwick, as well as TV ads, online videos, homepage takeovers and outdoor posters. "This will be the biggest launch in SCE UK's history, both in terms of ambition, numbers and spend and will be supported by a marketing budget of around £5 million," SCE UK senior product manager Ian Vinten told MCV. "To really reach that mass audience at launch we will be running a large outdoor campaign with a number of different premium formats including high quality 48-sheets as well as builds across the country." To celebrate launch of Uncharted 3, Sony and Media Molecule released a Nathan Drake costume for LittleBigPlanet 2. The Nathan Drake costume consist of Nathan Drake Hair, Nathan Drake Trousers, Nathan Drake Scarf, Nathan Drake Skin and Nathan Drake Top. A selection of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception themed stickers are also included. The pack was available to download through Playstation Store from November 1 in North America and November 2 in Europe, which is the same day as Uncharted 3 was released in these territories. Complete Official Guide and Drake's Journal Two Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Complete Official Guides were released alongside with the retail release of the game, both designed by Piggyback. The standard edition is available with a complete game walkthrough, hi-res maps, in-depth extras, and a full 64 pages on the multiplayer mode alone. The Hardbound Collector’s Edition features 272 pages with an exclusive 16-page Naughty Dog Cast Gallery, access to the Piggyback in-game multiplayer emblem, and a free CD with ten tracks from the official Uncharted 3 music score. To coincide with the release of Uncharted 3, lead voice performer Nolan North (Nathan Drake) wrote a book detailing the journey during Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception's development. Drake's Journal, a 128 page "coffee table" book, which takes a look at the making of Uncharted 3 from the viewpoint of Nolan North, is due to go on sale in November, shortly after the game is released. The book features over 500 photos from Sony Pictures Sound Stage, where the motion capture for Uncharted 3 was performed, alongside plenty of stories of Nolan, which document the development of the game. Included are also Quick Response codes which link to "50 uncut videos from the mocap stage". If the book is pre-ordered, the receiver receives a 20% discount and enters into the sweepstakes for a signed copy of the Uncharted 3: Explorer Edition. The Subway Taste for Adventure In North America during October, a month before the games full retail release, players who purchased certain items from Subway had access to the entire multiplayer mode of Uncharted 3, as part of a cross-promotion between Sony and sandwich chain Subway. The Subway Taste for Adventure promotion ran from September 29 through October 31, 2011. Buyers were able to enter a code from a specially marked Uncharted 30 oz drink cup before November 1 to get early access to the Uncharted 3 multiplayer. The offer entitles fans to play all of the competitive multiplayer maps and modes a month before the game is released. Subway items such as a Subway cap and shirt could be unlocked by picking up Subway treasures. The players rank and unlockables was carried over into the main game. In Europe, South Africa, The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand only PlayStation Plus members had a chance to get to the full multiplayer suite from October 5. There was other ways to get in for non-Playstation Plus members according to Sony, however, noting to keep an eye on local Playstation Blogs and community forums. Although both multiplayer suites was the same content, however, the Europen, South African, The Middle East, Australian and New Zealand didn’t had the Subway items like the US. Other vouchers that purchasers could get access to by picking up a Subway sandwich or chip was an Uncharted 3 dynamic Playstation 3 theme, an Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunter Bounty ability pack, an Uncharted 3 Drake multiplayer skin, an Uncharted 3 multiplayer weapon skin or a Subway cup and sandwich virtual costume for PlayStation Home. Multiplayer Beta A multiplayer beta for Uncharted 3 began worldwide on June 28, 2011, with early access for PlayStation Plus members and all buyers of specially marked copies of Infamous 2. The beta launched for all PSN members on July 5. The multiplayer beta allow for Team Deathmatch, Three-Team Deathmatch, Team Objective, Free For All, Plunder, Hardcore, Co-op Hunter, Co-op Arena and Co-op Adventure modes. Two maps were accessible first, Chateau and Airstrip, but two more maps were unlocked over the course of the beta, Yemen and Syria. At launch, players were experiencing console freezes, game-breaking glitches, lagging issues and long connecting times. Naughty Dog released the first patch for the multiplayer beta on June 29, 2011, titled version 1.01. However, some gamers still reported that their Playstation 3 is still getting locked completely and required a hard reboot. Naughty Dog wrote on Twitter: "We have found a problem with matchmaking a couple of hours ago and a fix is on its way. Today will be a better day. Thanks for your support :)" On July 5, Naughty Dog released the second patch, titled version 1.02, which included some significant improvements and tweaks. In the update; aside from inclusions such as Facebook integration and 1080i upscaling, a number of in-game elements such as medals and power plays was altered for a more balanced online experience. On July 6, Naughty Dog released the third patch 1.03 in Europe and it should have fix any European connectivity issues. Naughty Dog’s Co-President, Christophe Balestra wrote on Twitter: "Okay... I just pushed #uncharted3 beta patch 1.03 in Europe which should eliminate the matchmaking problems." Naughty Dog released the fourth patch, titled version 1.04 on July 8, which fixing the Facebook, the XP and the cash during playback of cinema files issues. On July 8, Naughty Dog revealed that just one day after the beta went fully public on July 5, it passed the one million unique players in the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta and the player count is still growing. Naughty Dog also advised players to reap the rewards from the beta, such as the Uncharted 3 PSN Beta Tester Avatar and Treasure Hunter’s Starter Pack, along with in-game cash for the full release of the Uncharted 3 multiplayer component. Naughty Dog confirmed on July 12, that player progress in the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta has been reset for some, sending them back to level one. User data that keeps track of level, cash and unlocks cannot be retrieved by the studio. However, beta players who were looking forward to rewards in the final version of Uncharted 3 based on their multiplayer beta play history will still get those rewards. Naughty Dog’s Christophe Balestra announced on Twitter that the Uncharted 3 beta had reached 1.5 million unique players on July 13. On July 14, when the beta actual should have been ended, Naughty Dog extended the beta for an additional 24 hours, to give players a little more time to level up the multiplayer stats. On July 15, Sony announced that the beta for Uncharted 3 is the "LARGEST online beta ever to appear on the PlayStation 3". Release Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was first officially released in North America on November 1, 2011, then November 2 in Europe and Japan, and November 3 in Australia. In the UK, Uncharted 3 was scheduled for release on November 4, but in July 2011 its release was pushed two days forward to November 2, making its release simultaneously with the rest of Europe. On October 22, reports starts coming out that a few gamers in Europe and other regions had managed to get their hands on retail copies of Uncharted 3, all thanks to retailer's breaking the street release date. Just few minutes later after confirmed that retail copy of Uncharted 3 has been leaked early, more image surface on internet to proof the leak claim. This time the picture arrived showed Uncharted 3's title screen.However, the release date was pushed forward to October 28, 2011 in parts of Europe last-minute. Pre-order Bonuses In North America several pre-order offers through several retail outlets. Pre-order consists of multiplayer weapon mods, medal kickbacks and booster. Which of the pre-order bonuses the player received depended upon where they pre-ordered the game. The multiplayer weapon mods, medal kickbacks and booster on offer is Regeneration Booster, Carpet Bomb Kickback and Clip Size Mod for Para 9 and G-MAL, Creepy Crawler Kickback, Callout Mod for AK-47, as well as Uncharted 3 PSN Avatar and Static Theme for Playstation 3. All of these pre-orders bonuses are also available and vary between retailers across Europe. In the Nordic countries, players who pre-ordered the game from GameStop, received a bonus pack, which consist of two exclusive posters, a T-shirt with a print that says "Soon-to-be action hero", and six in-game multiplayer codes (which are the pre-order bonuses). Players who pre-ordered the game from several retail outlets, such as Elkjøp and Game, received another bonus pack, which consist of the six in-game multiplayer codes, as well as the "Soon-to-be action hero" T-shirt. Retail Editions Exclusive to Europe, Australia and New Zealand is the Special Edition, which includes a "Steelbook" journal- styled game box case packaging. The Special Edition also includes a PSN voucher that allows to download the Multiplayer skin and weapon 'London Drake and Pirate AK-47', Multiplayer 'Upper Cut Taunt', 'Cash Multiplier' and 'Special Edition Decals Pack'. Exclusive to North America is the Collector’s Edition. It comes with a Nathan Drake Statue from Sideshow Collectibles, a replica of Drake's belt buckle, a replica of Drake's ring/necklace, a "Steelbook" case packaging with exclusive artwork. All of that is put in a "Traveling Chest", it’s got exclusive exterior artwork, comes with a lid that is held shut by a magnet and contains storage areas for all of the goodies that come with the Collector’s Edition. Also exclusive to Europe, Australia and New Zealand is the Explorer Edition. It includes the Nathan Drake Statue, belt buckle, ring/necklace from the North American Collector’s Edition. Instead of including the "Steelbook" case packaging from the Collector’s Edition, the Explorer Edition includes the Special Edition and its DLC, as well as all the pre-order bonuses. The "Traveling Chest" is replaced by the "Uncharted Wooden Travel Case", which has space for 19 Playstation 3 games. A 3D lenticular image is also included. Exclusive to Japan is the Uncharted 3-themed tan and brown color scheme DualShock 3 controller. The limited edition controller will feature a two-tone color scheme, with a map design and a smattering of mountains and coastlines sketched across the control pad. With a high level of detail, the controller also sports a compass drawn behind the directional pad, and Nathan Drake’s signature ring on the right hand grip. It will be bundled with the game for a collective cost of 9 980 yen ($129) for a limited time. In UK, to coincide with the game's launch, GameStop will exclusively sell the 320GB 'Classic White' Playstation 3 system in stores across Ireland and the UK, since GameStop obtained the exclusive right to sell the console on September 9, 2011. The console will be bundled with two 'Classic White' DualShock 3 controllers, and launches on November 1, which is just a day short of Uncharted 3 launching in Europe. For mainland UK buyers the console will only be available online, but for buyers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will it be able to pick up in the local store. The console will also sell in GameStop stores in Europe, Micromania and EB Games Australia and e-commerce sites from November. In North America, to coincide with the game's launch, a limited edition hardware offering will feature a 320GB 'Charcoal Black' Playstation 3 system, a 'Charcoal Black' DualShock 3 controller, a free month of PlayStation Plus, and a copy of Uncharted 3. Downloadable Content On July 11, 2011, Justin Richmond, creative director at Naughty Dog told NowGamer that the multiplayer for the game is hundreds of hours long, stating "We're going to continue adding new content after launch with DLC, like treasures, new character parts and so on. While we can't talk about DLC right now, I'd say the content easily amounts to hundreds and hundreds of hours. I mean, you can play competitive, co-op, multiple modes," Richmond continued, "I just can't quantify it enough." On October 14, 2011, Justin Richmond, confirmed that it won't be releasing any downloadable content for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception's single-player mode. "There's a very specific reason," said Richmond. "Whenever we sit down and think we should do some single-player DLC, someone pitches something and we realize - that's a five hour level." "Dialling back our ambition is difficult," added Arne Meyer, Naughty Dog's Community Strategist. "We'd rather build out another game than we would do episodic content," continued Richmond. "We're so small that we can't afford to have a whole team working on DLC." On October 18, 2011, Sony and Naughty Dog announced the "Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club" that entitles gamers to the first four multiplayer map packs and the first three multiplayer skin packs installment of downloadable content at a discount (over 45%) that will roll out over the course of the next year, with the first batch of content releasing in November 2011. As each piece of DLC is released for the game, the purchaser will receive a PSN message with a direct link to the content on the PlayStation Store. As an additional bonus for the purchase, Sony will be offering up a free, exclusive Fortune Hunters’ Club PlayStation 3 theme. The theme will be given immediately. The "Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club" was updated on January 17, 2012, to offer 14 total packs, 7 new packs, saving over 60% as a "Fortune Hunters' Club" member. *Along with the retail release of the game, Sony announced day-one DLC will be available as well. Three classic skin packs featuring total of 25 character skins from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was released on PSN. Members of the "Fortune Hunters’ Club" got these three classic skin packs for free. *On November 15, 2011, Killzone-themed multiplayer skin pack was released for Uncharted 3 via the Playstation Store for $1.49. Members of the "Fortune Hunters’ Club" got this pack for free as a bonus content on top of the three character skins packs from the Fortune Hunters’ Club. *On November 15, 2011, Naughty Dog announced Uncharted 3''s first major DLC add-on would be a retro map pack, called the "Flashback Map Pack #1". It teased screenshots of two of the maps that would be in the pack (there is others but they were not announced), which appear to show a waterlogged take on ''Uncharted 2's The Fort map and a thawed out version of The Ice Cave. On January 17, 2012, the DLC was released and featured remixed versions of the Cave, Fort, Lost City and Sanctuary maps from Uncharted 2. Dynamic lighting effects, new particle effects, touched-up textures and various new weather effects have been added to the stages. *On January 17, 2012, Naughty Dog offered some news on what to expect in the future from the game's DLC slate. The "Rogues Skin Pack 1" and "Rogues Skin Pack 2" will let you play "as some of the major thugs and minor characters" from Uncharted 3, whereas the "Donut Skin Pack" offers super-sized versions of heroes and villains from Uncharted 3. These packs was released on February 7, 2012. *On February 7, 2012, the "Fort Co-Op Adventure" was released, which sees series villains Zoran Lazarević, Eddy Raja and Harry Flynn team up in a new add-on that further explores the mystery behind the Janus head statue from the original on-disc co-op adventure. *On February 7, 2012, Naughty Dog revealed that the "Flashback Map Pack 2" is set to be released on February 21, offers Plaza, Temple, Train Wreck and Village multiplayer stages from Uncharted 2. *"Co-Op Shade Survival" was released on March 13, which has players co-operating to fight off wave after wave of progressively more demanding opponents. *"Drake's Deception Map Pack" was released on April, 10. "Map Pack" includes 4 brand new maps (Graveyard, Old Quarter, Oasis, London Streets), each with a new dynamic event that occurs as the match progresses. "Drake's Deception Map Pack" is the last DLC of the Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters' Club. Critical Reception Pre-release Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was on display for the general video game audience at the 2011 E3, and received four nominations from the Game Critics Awards for "Best of Show", "Best Console Game", "Best Action/Adventure Game", and "Best Online Multiplayer Game". Uncharted 3 was most notably awarded with "Best PS3 Game" by several media outlets, such as 1UP, X-Play, IGN, Digital Trends, GameSpot, GameSpy, GameInformer and Electric Playground. Uncharted 3 was also awarded "Best Action/Adventure Game" by X-Play, Machinima and Game Rant, "Best Action Game" by Shortlist, "Best Third-Person Shooter" and "Best Visuals" by VGChartz, "Best Graphics" by GameTrailers, as well as "Best 3D Graphics", "Best Multiplayer" and "Best Third-Person Shooter". The Official PlayStation Magazine and Game Revolution awarded Uncharted 3 with "Best Game of E3". Uncharted 3 was placed at number three on Big Picture Big Sound's "Top 10 Best Games of E3 2011" column, and was included in GamesRadar's and Official PlayStation Magazine's "Most Valuable Game Award". Uncharted 3 was also on display for the general video game audience at the 2011 Gamescom, and received one nomination for "Best Console Game". Numerous gaming websites have called Uncharted 3 one of the most anticipated games of 2011, with 1UP and IGN ranking it number one in their "Top 10 PS3 Games of 2011" column. Metacritic included Uncharted 3 on their "Most Anticipated Games of 2011" column, and stated that "Sony's console has an unusually large lineup of exclusives scheduled for 2011, highlighted by one of the year's biggest titles, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception." In Japan, gaming magazine Famitsu had it listed as one of the most anticipated games in its periodic reader poll. Many shops around the country had large displays advertising its November 2 launch date. Post-Release Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception received critical acclaim, receiving numerous "Game of the Year" awards. The first publication to review Uncharted 3 was the Spanish magazine Playmania, which gave it a score of 9.9 out of 10, the highest score that the magazine has ever given a game. The reviewer ignored a request from Naughty Dog co-president Christophe Balestra requesting publishers not to include plot spoilers in their coverage. The second review was published by the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited, which awarded it with 94%, and concluded with "It is jaw-dropping. The whole game is full of highlights. One of the best games ever for the PlayStation 3 to date." The third review was published by the Spanish edition of the Official PlayStation Magazine, which gave it a 9.8 out of 10 score, called it "A masterpiece to remember for many years that will be difficult to overcome." PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) awarded the game a perfect score and a gold award. In their review they stated, "For the second time in succession, Naughty Dog has created a game that can claim to not only be the best on PS3, but also one of the best in gaming history... A visual, technical and narrative tour de force that takes the sky-high expectations of an entire community and blows them out the back of a jumbo jet, replacing them with more show-stopping moments than you could hope to find in a dozen other games combined." The US edition of the PlayStation Official Magazine stated, "Viewed strictly as a videogame, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception represents the height of technical achievement--the state-of-the-art, if you will--for the interactive console experience." Ars Technica reviewer Ben Kuchera praised the writing and voice acting, stating "Overall, this is an amazing achievement in design, and it rests comfortably at the top of the heap when it comes to action games. It's also one of the rare video games where the writing and voice acting aren't just good "for a video game," they're good for a television show or a movie. Joy can be found in the small moments and movements of the characters, and their interactions are always fun to watch." In a review for The Telegraph, Tom Hoggins described it as "If you were to break Drake's Deception down to its base elements, it’s the same Uncharted we have grown to love, just a little trimmer, more slick." Dan Silver of Daily Mirror concluded with "Overall, Drake’s Deception is one of the most spectacular entertainment experiences ever produced, but one you’ll enjoy holding a joypad rather than a bucket of popcorn. And, ultimately, that doesn’t really matter at all." The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer described it as "It’s another thrilling ride with gorgeous presentation, absolutely exhilarating set pieces, well-integrated puzzles and robust combat that is equally satisfying whether you are wielding a gun or bare-knuckle brawling." Uncharted 3 has a GameRankings score of 92.19%, and a score of 92 out of 100 on Metacritic, making it one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2011. 1UP gave the game a perfect score, and stated "Developer Naughty Dog continues to prove they are masters of their craft, and the third chapter of Uncharted is a fun and rewarding adventure that's easily one of the best games this year." IGN was very pleased with the title by awarding it with a perfect score, and even going as far as to say "From start to finish, single player to multiplayer, this game sings. The characters, the graphics, the sound, the story - they're all top notch. If you're willing to skip Uncharted 3, be prepared to miss one of gaming's finest moments." and calling it "an experience, a complete package." Edge gave it 9 out of 10 and concluded with, "Just like Machu Picchu, the Pyramids and every other engineering marvel of antiquity, Uncharted 3 will stand as a reminder to future generations of gamers that enough problem-solving imagination can turn any old trowel into a magic wand." One of the lowest scores was given by Simon Parkin of Eurogamer, which stated "As a slice of one-view entertainment, Uncharted 3 is peerless... As an expression of all that a video game could be, however, Uncharted 3 is narrow, focused and ultimately shallow." The Technique reviewer Hank Whitson was also less impressed by the game, writing "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was not only one of the best games on the Playstation 3, but one of the best video games to date. It featured a fun sharply-written script, engaging gameplay, a brilliant soundtrack and the best cinematic pacing ever presented in a videogame. Needless to say, expectations for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception were extremely high. While Uncharted 3 is a tremendously satisfying game and one of the best releases of 2011, it fails to fully live up to the legacy of its legendary predecessor." The game was criticised for some negative issues, such as the aiming system in gunplay. The developer had initially countered complaints that the game's aiming was inaccurate in a blog post on its official site. However, after complaints continued on the Naughty Dog forum and NeoGAF, a patch to address concerns about the game's aiming system was impending after developer Naughty Dog invited a couple of fans to its HQ to discuss the problem. On November 27, 2011, Naughty Dog released a patch that offer a fix for those unhappy with the game's refined aiming controls. The update offers the option of toggling between the new controls and a set-up more in line with that found in Uncharted 2. Despite being addressed in the previous games in the series, another minor issue raised was that of the game's linearity. Amy Hennig, in an interview with GameTrailers, defended this aspect by arguing that too little linearity in the series would have affected the game's narrative. Sales According to NPD Group, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was the fifth-best selling game in the U.S. in November 2011 at 700,000 copies. During the first week of sales in the United Kingdom, Uncharted 3 became the second-best selling game on the all-format chart, beaten only by EA's Battlefield 3. It became the 11th best ever PS3 launch in the UK, and outperformed its predecessor's launch week sales by 37 percent. Uncharted 3 topped the PS3 and Individual Platforms charts, replacing Battlefield 3. During the first week of sales in Japan, Uncharted 3 became the second-best selling game on the chart and sold 124,989 copies, which is 3x more than Uncharted 2 sold in the region in 2009. Worldwide, the game broke all records for the Uncharted franchise, in the sales department, firmly ahead of the last game in the franchise. Sony confirmed it shipped 3.8 million copies globally on launch day, making it "one of the best-selling titles of 2011, putting the third installment on a clear course to be the biggest selling game in the trilogy". Uncharted 3 also is the third fastest selling Playstation 3 exclusive ever, behind Gran Turismo 5 and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and ahead of God of War III. The Uncharted franchise has sold over 13 million units worldwide, with product marketing manager for Uncharted 3 Asad Quizilbash stated that Uncharted 3′s week one sales were double that of Uncharted 2, which has "far exceeding" expectations. Awards Following the critical acclaim it received at its release, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has received numerous awards from various magazines, trade shows and gaming websites. Uncharted 3 was nominated for eight awards at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, including Game of the Year and was voted by critics for two wins. In Famitsu Readers' top 50 recommended titles for the PS3, Uncharted 3 was placed third, making it the second highest western game at the list, only beaten by its predecessor, which took the top spot. Uncharted 3 received 12 nominations at the 15th Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, one nomination at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2011, and three nominations at the 12th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Uncharted 3 has received six nominations at the 8th British Academy Video Games Awards, and also a nomination for the UK's only publicly-voted award GAME Award of 2011. Links *UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception *Official website *"Review: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception". Destructoid.com. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review for PS3". G4tv. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review for PS3". VideoGamer.com. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review | PLAY Magazine". *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Video Game, Review | Video Clip | Game Trailers & Videos". GameTrailers.com. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception review, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception PS3 Reviews". GamesRadar. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception PS3 Review". GameSpot.com. *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review - PlayStation 3 Review at IGN". *"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review for PS3 from". 1UP.com. *"Community Game Of The Year 2011: Overall". MediaKick. *"Best Third-Person Shooter". playstationlifestyle.net. *"Official PlayStation Magazine UK's GOTY: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception". UGO Networks. Category:2011 video games Category:Most Wanted Games Category:Game of the Year